A God Amongst Wolves

9

Word Count: 2377

~Venn

I approach Belle's car, feeling the intangible hum of electricity in the air.

It's an old white hatchback with rusted panelling and cloudy glass. It's completely empty. No Belle in sight.

Alvera called me as she was getting into her own car, telling me about the tip. She hasn't mentioned it, but I can tell she's relying on my presence assuming the worst case scenario plays out.

When I pulled up, Alvera was hunched in the driver's seat of her car, watching Eldon, who was scoping around the car.

Thankfully, there's no decomposing body behind the wheel. No Belle.

Tugging on the driver's doors handle, I wince at the cascading pops as the seals suction releases. No one has been in here for a while. Flecks of rust even come away from the door hinge as I yank it open.

"Keys are in the ignition," I tell Belle, popping the trunk latch so she can check in there.

"Her boot is just full of old shopping bags," she calls out after a brief pause.

Tugging the keys out, I slip them into my pocket. Eldon clambers into the backseat, disgust curling at his nose as he takes in the scent of decaying food and stale air freshener.

I ignore the stickiness of the latches as I check every possible compartment, finding only old food packaging and yellowing envelopes.

"Nothing in the back seat." Eldon's arm is elbow deep in a sea of energy drink cans behind the seats. "Wait..."

"What, Eldon?" Belle asks, slamming the trunk closed.

"I take it back." He emerges from the car at the same time as I do, holding a clear glass bottle above his head. "Half drunk bottle of booze under the seat."

"Classy Belle." Alvera rolls her eyes. "Did you check the glove compartments, Venn?"

"Nothing notable," I respond.

We gather at the front of the car, staring it down. It sits at the top most reachable point by road of this mountain, parked off the gravel road rather than up on the proper car park that is the lookout.

Alvera brings her hand up to her chest, pressing the pendant of her necklace between her fingers. "Shit."

"It's okay-"

"It's not okay, is it?" She whirls to face me, a heat in her eyes that has me pausing. "Why would she bring her car up here? It's just a lookout. Either she was kidnapped, or she wandered off into the forest and something terrible happened to her."

She sweeps her arm out, encompassing the incredible view.

Access to the lookout provides visitors with a view of the expansive forest, disrupted only by some winding roads and a large lake that is seated far in the distance. What is doesn't provide is anywhere else to go but down.

Belle came up here for a reason, and is either still here, or she left her car behind.

"She may have lent her car to someone," I remind Alvera cautiously.

There's a bitter taste in my mouth. The theory that Belle left town seems even more unlikely now, but bringing that up won't do Alvera any good. She looks like she's ready to keel over, wrap her arms around her knees and scream.

"Don't try to be so nice, Venn. Not now," she snaps, digging her hands into her hair.

Eldon wanders away, unsure of how to comfort her. Even he is being weighed down by the impending sense of dread.